TORONTO — It’s apparent the moment Scottie Upshall opens his mouth: This is not his first rodeo.

Although the 14-year NHL veteran from Fort McMurray, Alta., remains unsigned, lingering on the free-agent market as September nears, he does not seem overly concerned.

“There’s a hunger with staying in the NHL and winning a Stanley Cup, helping a team get to the next level. I’ve done that my whole career,” Upshall said Tuesday afternoon during a rinkside chat with Postmedia at St. Michael’s College School arena.

In 2015, Upshall went through a similar process. He waited all summer. In the fall, he accepted a tryout with the St. Louis Blues, earned former coach Ken Hitchcock’s trust and signed a one-year contract, which was renewed for the 2016-17 season.

“There’s been some talks lately, more than earlier in the summer,” he continued, referring to interest from NHL teams while watching fellow BioSteel pro hockey campers smack pucks off the glass in front of his face.

“Every time I’m out on the ice, it’s an audition. You never know. There’s a lot of guys here who have a lot of say on their respective clubs.”

Upshall says European pro league teams have tried to court his services, including “pretty good offers” coming out of Russia. Playing overseas would be Plan B for the scrappy left winger, of course, but the potential rewards of a Euro trip present an intriguing consolation prize.

“The Olympics, the money that they hand out (in European leagues) … it’s hard to say no to that opportunity,” said Upshall, who captained Team Canada’s silver medal-winning 2003 world junior squad. “Playing for the Olympic team would be a dream come true.”

The 6-foot, 200-pounder has enjoyed a lengthy yet nomadic NHL life, getting traded three times and splitting time with the Blues, Panthers, Coyotes, Flyers and Predators. He is approaching a pair of milestones — 300 points (266) and 700 games (696) — and believes the nuances of his game, and his banked experiences, bring value.

“I had a great year last year. It was my best year in five years,” Upshall said. “I played every game in the playoffs and had a lot of success playing a two-way game and being a penalty killer.”

San Jose Sharks forward Joel Ward, another BioSteel camp attendee, might find himself in a similar situation next summer when his three-year contract expires. Like Upshall, Ward is a 30-something depth forward living in an NHL climate that tends to favour young blood.

“You notice a little bit of a trend, for sure, but you can’t really dwell on it or think too much about it,” said Ward, who turns 37 in December but hopes to stay in the NHL “forever.”

“You just have to play the game and move forward,” Ward added. “Sitting there thinking about who’s where and what’s going on (is not healthy). You’ve just gotta take care of your own business and stay level-headed and stay positive.”

Upshall, for one, seems undeterred. “I’m 33 but I still feel like I’m 25,” he said with a grin.

DEVIL DOWN

It’s almost as if the hockey gods won’t let the Devils gain any momentum.

A team in full rebuild mode, New Jersey walked away from April’s NHL draft lottery with the No. 1 pick. GM Ray Shero selected Nico Hischier first overall two months later, signed depth centre Brian Boyle on July 1 and acquired forward Marcus Johansson from the salary cap-crunched Capitals for two draft picks on July 2.

Not a bad haul.

Then the bad news hit, as it was announced last week that top centre Travis Zajac will be out for 4-6 months after undergoing pectoral surgery to fix an injury suffered during off-season training.

“He’s a guy that is tough to replace,” said Adam Henrique, another Devils centre. “It’s hard to fill his shoes.”

Henrique, who adds the entire forward group will need to chip in to compensate for Zajac’s absence, is cautious about putting too much pressure on Hischier. While the skilled, two-way Swiss centre has serious potential, he is no overnight saviour.

“Some people might be expecting him to come in and turn our team around right away. It doesn’t always happen,” he said. “It’s gotta be a team thing. We know that and I think Ray has done a good job bringing in pieces to build around, make us deeper and harder to play against. The team is headed in the right direction.”

QUOTABLE TAKES

Darnell Nurse on learning more about Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl and his German roots: “I’ve had schnitzel a couple of times just because of him,” he said with a laugh. “Definitely, I ask a few different questions. It’s different for him, especially when he first came over (to Canada).” … Ward on the Sharks retaining Joe Thornton, but losing Patrick Marleau to the Maple Leafs via free agency: “It’s good to see Jumbo back, of course,” he said of the longtime NHL playmaker. “With Patty, it’s unfortunate, he’s such a good dude. But kudos to him and his family. It’s a decision he wanted to make and he’s thinking of his family first, putting himself in the best position.” … Henrique on his 2016-17 season of 20 goals and 20 assists in 82 games: “Getting to 20 goals is a nice little milestone, if you will, but there’s still a lot more,” he shrugged. “I should still have more (goals). That was kind of disappointing. There were a few stretches where I didn’t play well. I can certainly be better than that, I know that.”

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